Sometimes I frown upon getting minimal sleep, especially in college, but sometimes it is very useful. Late at night.. early in the morning.. are the times when people have less distractions & more time to think. Not just to think about daily occurrences, but to think about the things that really matter in life.

I was reading over the quote “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent”.

Whether we like to admit it or not, everyone has a few enemies throughout their lifetime. It doesn’t matter if they stay in your life or not… there will always be a few people that God intended to put in your life for lessons and not to become your bridesmaid or groomsman.

It is a weird feeling to just take a second, clear your mind & think about what you were doing, your attitude, your goals, your ambitions, your lifestyle, your friendships, your relationships- exactly one year ago from today.

As bad as I am with remembering certain things, I could definitely tell you what my life was like a year ago. I am blessed to have gone through some of the things I did because it led me to where I am and the person I am right now.

I feel like this new year of 2012 has brought some light into people’s lives & I am starting to see New Year’s resolutions of being more positive shine through. It’s especially evident on social networking sites, which we are all guilty of checking at least once every day.

Taking a negative moment from your day and replacing it with a positive thought or action is always more refreshing.

Well, today was an absolutely refreshing day. I cannot complain one bit about the warm weather we have been having since the new year started. I am such a beach girl and would do anything to be able to spend hours soaking in the sun and relaxing by the calm ocean waves everyday of my life.. which is why I will be living by the water one day.

14 days until spring break.. I don’t think I can manage the anticipation for Key West. I went for the first time last year and absolutely loved it! It is such a unique spring break spot. I grew up always going to Destin, Florida and one year in PCB (not a fan). Key West has a small town atmosphere and doesn’t seem as touristy as other beaches.. mainly because the beach area is so much smaller. There are also a lot of wind surfers out on the water the majority of the time. I’m going to make it my mission this year to rent a board and try it.

Last year we stayed about thirty minutes before the “downtown” area in Key West, called Big Pine Key. Our friend’s great aunt and uncle have a house there, so we couldn’t pass up a free offer. The most interesting part was that there were always small families of deer right around their house every single day. Who sees deer at the beach? Here’s a picture they got of me trying to take a picture of one.

I was afraid they would run off, but this one just kept eating the left over food we put out for them. I feel like the only time we interact with deer in Georgia is when we accidentally encounter them one night on a back road.

I will also mention how my car door got annihilated by a guy driving a huge truck on a one way street in the downtown area. Not such a great end to our spring break, but the perfect weather and crystal blue waters made it all worth it.

I’ll end with a picture of a windsurfer I finally found on my computer.

In my Psychology class, my teacher allows us to use our smart phones as a “clicker” for polling or multiple choice questions in the classroom that count as attendance each day. It is about $14 application (app) for a semester long purchase, which is significantly cheaper than buying an actual clicker device. It was difficult to figure out how to get the Device ID and other information processed, but it has proved to be extremely convenient for me. I always have my cell phone (with exception of the occasional forgetting at home) so I know I will always have my “clicker” with me.

It is these teachers that can relate to students and help them to see they are trying to catch up with our generation of technologically advanced students. We are always wanting to find the new and most creative technology and it is advancing every single day. Why not use this new technology to our advantage? I barely use notebook paper anymore. I am usually (if allowed) typing my notes on my MacBook or printing off PowerPoint slides or notes the teacher has provided and write on them during lectures.

A few weekends ago, I visited my favorite city of Tampa, Florida. It was the most celebrated “holiday” of the new year- Gasparilla. Put simply, it is a pirate ship invasion into the city by a ship with drunken pirate “dads” labeling themselves as Ye Mystic Krew. My whole mom’s side of the family lives in South Tampa, so I feel like I grew up part Florida/part Georgia girl. I will go ahead and admit I also grew up a huge Gator fan, which will probably make whoever is reading this automatically dislike me. I have grown to deal with the hatred, but I am slowly becoming a Georgia football fan… slowly being the key word.

Anyways, there are definitely beads to be received during this weekend and we were able to grab an enormous amount. My aunt and uncle were seeing my cousin swim one of her last meets at Clemson, so one of the “pirate dad’s” left me a ton of beads in their back yard to get me started. I was already dressed (beads, sword, pirate hat, skull accessories & all) at 7am in Chick-Fil-A… obviously getting stared at by everyone. Well after the weekend ceased and we made our way back to the Classic City, I wanted to display my beads somehow. At first I tried to hang them from my mirror in my car, but they are the loudest noisemakers ever. I resorted to hanging them decoratively on my bathroom towel rack. Surprisingly they are still hanging the same way I first arranged them. I also hung some pictures of me and my sister and some family members above my bed along with the People magazine cover of Adele my mom sent me. She is by far the most respectable musical artist of our generation (in my opinion). I like to have constant reminders of admirable people in my room, which lead me to writing with a dry erase marker on my bedroom and bathroom mirrors a couple of my favorite Bible verses and favorite quote.

Here is one of the pictures from Gasparilla weekend:

& just to be clear, I earned these beads by the occasional “shouting and hollering”, not Mardi Gras style 🙂

This classroom layout was created using a Web 2.0 tool Floor Plan. It is very beneficial to have an idea in mind before moving into a classroom, so every teacher can effectively use all of the floor space given for the most creative learning environment.

I have shadowed a family friend, Julie Wright, who is a speech language pathologist and an elementary and middle school in Gainesville, GA. Her classroom was quite small with the necessities but having some students with wheelchairs and other handicap accessories, I knew I wanted my future classroom to be more accessible to those students. I chose a single floor room plan because I want the space to feel cozy and for everyone to be able to access everything easily.

There are two “fun” rugs in the opposite corners of the room because I will have younger children in a school setting and I want them to feel comfortable. The couch was a comfortable touch to the room and can allow for reading areas. The other rug can be used for play time with toys and relaxing on the bean bag chairs while working on homework or looking through a magazine. Two different tables allow for more learning space for me and the children. Mrs. Wright only had one table, which was a tight squeeze. There are two mobile white boards to help with visual learners along with a filing cabinet for storage of the students’ paperwork, schoolwork and any work I will need to keep private. In the top right learning area there are three computers which will be beneficial for hands on learning through technology. Computers have proved to be an extremely beneficial tool to help communicate with students who are unable convey their message through words. There is also a single computer off to the right side for any student needing to use headphones so they will not be distracted. My desk is located to the bottom left side with enough room for me to work. The two doors swing inwards with enough width for students with wheelchairs.

The students and I will be able to have enough space to be comfortable, while still feeling like we are close enough in proximity to not have to speak too loudly to get someone’s attention. I have several windows placed in areas where it would be beneficial for creativity to look outside for inspiration. I like to feel like I am not claustrophobic while learning or teaching. I will want to display students’ work on the walls to inspire others and for them to feel pride in what they have accomplished and learned.